Origins
by WrishWrosh
Summary: No two benders are the same, although there are undoubtedly patterns. Most start slowly, and almost unrecognizably at first. It usually takes some time for anyone to realize the talents they posses. But some, some are special. These are the stories of the how the avatar and his friends found their bending skills.


No two benders are the same, although there are undoubtedly patterns. Some don't reveal their talents until they are ostensibly too old, others when they are far too young. Some slide into it smoothly, like it had always been there, and they simply didn't feel like showing the world yet. Some fight at it, struggling, as it seems, with their own spirit until the power shows itself. Some are a sudden explosion of raw talent and unrestrained power. Most start slowly, and almost unrecognizably at first. The avatar is no different from any bender, at the beginning.

o0o

Avatar Aang first airbent at age four. It was on the early side of average, and it was mostly unremarkable. There was certainly nothing about it that declaimed the skill of a prodigy, or the avatar.

It is difficult to discover airbending in a child. There are few obvious signs like impossible splashes or the generation of sparks. Breezes created by untrained airbenders are indistinguishable from the air currents and winds that flow through their mountain temples. There are patterns, though.

Like any other bender, most airbenders begin to show signs between the ages of four and six. Anywhere between six months and a year prior to first beginning to bend, the child will show signs of interest in moving the air—waving their hands to move the air, for example. And about six months after bending for the first time, the child will begin to levitate.

o0o

Monk Gyatso and Aang were sitting on the balcony outside the Southern Air Temple's kitchens. Gyatso was pretending to meditate while also watching Aang. Aang was pretending to meditate while also fidgeting, playing with the carved wooden bison he had _very secretly_ hidden in the top of his boot, thinking about how he would like to get his very own bison sometime soon, imagining how cool he would look with an arrow like Gyatso's, and watching the older boys play a rousing game of airball. One of the airball players made a particularly good feint, and Aang lost all pretense of meditating to rush over to the railing, bison toy in tow. Gyatso peeled open one eye to watch the boy's attempts to hoist himself up onto the railing.

"Aang," he called, "Please come sit down. We have not completed afternoon meditations."

"I'm done meditating, Monk Gyatso!" replied Aang. A loud cheer came from the airball field. Aang jumped and stood on his tiptoes, trying to get a better view over the railing. "I needa watch the game! It's really important for…for my air training! Yeah! I needa watch and learn!"

Gyatso sighed. "Aang, we would have completed our meditations ten minutes ago if you could just focus like I've been teaching you. Remember the breathing exercises we did yesterday? Why don't you sit down and try some of those? Remember, in, two three four…out, two three four." Gyatso was nothing if not patient, and he wasn't naïve either. Aang was not the first four-year-old he had meditated with, and he knew a thing or two about getting jumpy little boys to focus. "Come on, Aang, let's try again. And why don't we try leaving your toy behind?"

Aang, who had lost interest in the conversation and was alternating between making said toy swoop around his head and attempting to peek at the airball players, turned around slowly. "The game's getting really cool. Pleeeeeeeease can I be done?"

Gyatso shot the boy his favorite "I-am-a-monk-and-over-twenty-times-your-age-so-you-had-better-listen-to-what-I-am-saying" look. Aang returned with the "But-I-am-just-the-cutest-little-boy-so-give-me-what-I-want-please" look he had been practicing, but Gyatso did not yield. Aang set down the little bison and slumped back over to his spot in front of Gyatso. A raucous cheer floated up from the airball field and Aang lifted his head hopefully.

"I'm afraid not, my boy. Now get in position, good, like that. Remember, feet together, hands together, back straight." Gyatso closed his eyes and settled into a neater version of Aang's pose. There was a groan from the direction of the airball field. Gyatso cracked open one eye just in time to see the little boy leap to his feet.

He coughed quietly, and Aang looked over at him. Gyatso gave him a one eyed Look, and he flopped down into a decidedly sloppy meditation pose. Gyatso closed his eyes, but he could still hear Aang shifting around. Everything was quiet on the airball field for a few minutes, and Aang finally began to settle down. Suddenly, the field exploded in cheers and yells. Gyatso looked up to find Aang in a ramrod straight meditation pose. He was about to congratulate the boy for his concentration when he noticed a few things. Firstly, Aang's eyes were wide open. Secondly, he was cheering. Thirdly, he was floating a few inches above the ground, in prime position to see the game.

"Yay, go Sonam! Monk Gyatso, Monk Gyatso, did you SEE that! That was so awesome! Sonam was like, pshhhhhh, and then he went like this," Aang squawked, waving his arms wildly to demonstrate the player's movements. "And then the ball just went zooooooooom, like…" Aang trailed off, remembering the reason he was seated on the balcony. He gave Gyatso a guilty look and sunk slowly until he was seated on the ground again. "Sorry, Monk Gyatso."

The monk gave an indulgent smile and stood. "We can cease our meditation for today, Aang. I think it has taken its effect."

* * *

**AN: Hello everyone!**

**This is my first story for this fandom. This idea has been floating around in my brain for a while, and I'm considering writing some more chapters for the other main bending characters.**

**Shoot me a review and let me know what you think!**

**-MeatAndSarcasmGirl **


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